Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice
by rhettrocksmyworld
Summary: Scarlett is alone on a stormy night in Georgia when she gets a visitor...this little one sentence summary really doesn't do the story justice, so just read it instead!
1. Default Chapter

**Ah, well, a new story. Oops. The ideas just keep on rolling in. I can't help it. I'm like a human story fountain. That was a really bad analogy. Please excuse it. Anyways, I got the title for this fic from a line in Sweet Home Alabama (the movie), but the plot is my own, so I hope you guys like it. Review if you want to make someone very happy. (okay, that someone is me)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own any characters, although I really wish I did. That would be really cool. But I don't. Oh well. **

_**Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice**_

The thunder let out a loud clap as the lightning lit up the night sky. It was a beautiful backdrop curtained by the sheets of pouring rain. It was somewhat typical of the southern summer weather, yet Scarlett O'Hara was scared. She was quite alone in the Peachtree Street mansion, with not even the servants at home. Scarlett, experiencing a huge burst of independence, had sent all of the servants to Tara. She was now beginning to regret it as the lighting once again illuminated the outdoors, casting shadows on the walls. Maybe it wasn't her independence that had prompted her to send the servants away. Maybe it was stupidity. How was she going to get dressed in the fancy clothes that she owned, not to mention the numerous other activities she was involved in on a daily basis requiring another set of hands? Where was her mind?

She knew where it was—she had been mad when she banished her servants, and true to herself, she acted irrationally out of anger. All she wanted was some time alone, to think.

It seemed as if every time she would sit down to review her ledgers, or even her thoughts, something would come up. Ella would burst through the door wanting to play, or it would be Mammy wanting Scarlett to come eat…Scarlett simply felt as if they were suffocating her. She had to come to realize that she loved Ella and Wade during the month that they had spent together.

Scarlett took delight in Wade's quick mind, and Ella was becoming quite a pretty girl—growing into her tall, skinny figure. She had Scarlett's dark locks and aristocratic features, but where Scarlett was petite and full-figured, Ella was tall and slim. But as much as she loved them, she wanted—no, needed—her space.

It had been a month, and a very long one at that. Scarlett immediately had put all of her efforts into the house and children, anything to help her push aside her inner agony. Yes, on the inside, she was screaming. Everyone she had ever loved in this world left her. Ma, Pa, Bonnie, now both Rhett and Melanie…it seemed like losing loved ones was her penance for loving….and so she had banished everyone away from the Peachtree Street house. She had to think. As sad as it was for her, she would have to learn that she needed to look back. Her thoughts were jumbled and confused, and she felt utterly alone in the world.

Brooding over the sorry state of her personal affairs, Scarlett practically jumped out of her chair when there came a pounding knock on the door. It was late; a quarter after ten, and Scarlett had absolutely no idea who could possibly be calling at this hour. The last time there was a night caller it had been Tony Fontaine running away to Texas. She found it hard to believe that anything good could possibly come of the situation. She was torn between opening the door or not—after all, she was a lady alone in a house, and it was very late at night, yet it must be of relative importance due to the insistent pounds on the door. Scarlett slowly made her way to the front door as the storm continued to rage. She undid the heavy bolt and cautiously peeked out into the dark storm.

"Damn it, Scarlett, open the door!"

Rhett! Her heart stopped beating as she pulled the door open the remainder of the way and Rhett rushed in out of the rain.

**Well, I originally _wanted_ to end this chappie right here. But I figured that based on previous experiences, short chapters are not a favorite among readers. Which I can totally understand, but I wanted this moment to be more "dramatic" and it so would be if I could end it there. But since you all would probably go into conniptions, here's the next part. Aren't I nice? That means that you guys have to leave me extra reviews! Wink Wink! **

"What the hell are you doing answering the door yourself at night? You didn't know who it was."

Yes, and I wish I had Rhett Butler because I would have slammed the door shut in your face."

"I have absolutely no doubts that you would my dear. Where's Pork?"

"The servants aren't here. I sent them to Tara."

Rhett abruptly stopped taking off his wet shoes and looked at Scarlett. "You wouldn't. You aren't capable of taking care of yourself, and don't stand there and tell me you were foolish enough to believe you could. Now where's Pork? Oh, and the cook. I'm starved."

Scarlett's eyes blazed and the lightning flashed once again, making her seem even angrier than she quite obviously was. "You, you, you…cad! How dare you walk back into my life, criticize my decisions…have you ever heard of a little thing called the war, Rhett? Because I can tell you one thing: there was no one, save me, at Tara who was capable of taking care of their self. Who do you suppose cooked and worked? You saw my hands that day when I visited you in that Yankee prison, you've seen Tara. Don't you stand there and tell me I can't take care of myself Rhett Butler because I assure you that I can. I sent all of the servants away to Tara, damn it, and if you don't believe me that's your own damn fault. Now. What do you want to eat? I'll fix it myself. And close your mouth. You look the fool."

**So…questions, comments, concerns? Review por favor! That means please. I'm feeling multi-lingual today. Anyways, I really would like to know what you guys think of this chapter, well this story really, because as some of you might know I'm currently working on two others at the same time and if no one likes this one then there's not really much point in my continuing of it. So drop me a line and let me know. Really. I think I've mentioned reviewing like 50 times now in this story, so my goal is fulfilled and I'll leave you guys to go to your reviewing! (That was number 51, haha)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wowowowow. Sorry it took me so long to update this story. What's it been, like a year? I'm gonna check the date. OMG! March 3! That's not even half a year, so I guess I wasn't very close. But crap, five months! Sorry about that. Thanks for being patient. (That's assuming someone will read this and you haven't all given up on me.) Read this chapter and review, pronto! I wanna know what you guys think. And if I don't get any…or many…reviews I'll wait that long to update again! (And I bet you think I'm kidding, winkwink)**

**Chapter 2 of Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice**

_**Charred Remnants**_

Scarlett quickly brushed by Rhett towards the kitchen before she even knew what she was making her husband to eat.

Husband.

It was laughable, really, the situation they were in. but she could think about all of that later. Right now she was focusing on breathing normally.

Once she entered the kitchen she exhaled loudly. She could think better in here. Things in the past five or six minutes had happened so fast that she felt slightly out of breath. She hurriedly tried to process the information: a month ago Rhett had left her crying for him on the steps of their home. Now, he returned and she yelled at him for doing so.

Where had all of her resolutions concerning Rhett and how she was going to be a better person now that she knew the consequences of being a spoiled girl gone?

She knew where they had gone. Although, technically speaking, they had never really _gone_ anywhere. She had never had them.

She had thought about them plenty over the last month, but she had decided she had more important things to focus on. Besides, she definitely had not counted on Rhett's return to be so soon…if ever.

She was sure she had destroyed all hope of that when she had practically groveled at his feet for him to stay. She shuddered thinking about it. That wasn't how she was planning on acting this time.

But…how was she going to act this time?

Damned if she knew. Her actions when she was in Rhett's vicinity were unable to be explained. She always acted irrational and, she had to admit it, somewhat foolish. Oh well. Repeating her mantra, she'd think about it later.

* * *

She hurried to make Rhett's meal, but she burned it due to her lack of attention. 

Oh well.

It was Rhett's fault she had burned it anyway. She had been too busy thinking about him to fully focus.

She scraped the makeshift dinner out of the pan and piled it on a plate.

It looked disgusting. So much for her being able to cook.

She walked through the enormous kitchen to the dining room. The huge table seemed ridiculous. It sat twelve. She slammed the plate onto the cherry wood table, then remembered that it was a cherry wood table and swore at the effect of her anger on the table.

"Rhett!" she called shrilly.

She felt his presence in the room before she saw him.

She _literally_ felt his presence in the room before she saw him. He had pulled her against him and whispered against her neck, "Dinner looks…"

She whirled around and glared at him before he could finish his sentence. He was laughing at her, even if she couldn't hear the distinctive laugh itself. She could tell by his eyes.

"Delicious?" she finished, poking fun at herself, but letting him know that she wouldn't tolerate his being part o fit.

"Of course." He pulled the chair from underneath the table and offered it to her before seating himself in front of his charred dinner. "Wine, please."

Scarlett shot him a look before returning to the table with two wine glasses and an unopened bottle of red wine. She poured one glass and was in the midst of pouring the other when the thunder clapped loudly, startling her. The wine sloshed down the side of the glass, pooling on the table. She covered the mess with a napkin and sat back down.

She nursed the wine like it was instead a glass of brandy, and peered across the table at Rhett. She didn't know what to say to him.

Before she could attempt to string a sentence together Rhett asked absent-mindedly, "More wine, Scarlett?"

"No thanks," she said, and swished her glass a little to illustrate her full cup.

The glass was practically empty. How had that happened? Had she been mulling that long?

"Actually, yes. More wine would be divine," she replied, then giggled at her unintentional rhyme. The second cup of wine did the trick. Relaxing a little, she talked to Rhett for the first time all meal, barring the "More wine?" conversation they had just had. "Sorry I'm not much company. I don't really know what came over me." The second part was in reference to her actions upon his arrival, but she was relatively sure that was understood.

"Both are forgiven."

They carried on with the small talk and by the time Scarlett was reaching for her fourth glass of the wine she was two sheets to the wind, but as the drunk usually are, blissfully unaware of it. She reached for the bottle and grabbed it in one hand.

"Oh dear, almost empty," she said, bringing the bottle over her glass to pour it. It was at this moment that the room flashed bluish-white and a loud clap of thunder, the loudest yet, resonated through the house. The thunder had startled her so that she had once again completely missed her glass, causing wine to stream down the table, most of it landing right in Rhett's lap.

"Shit," she said at the thunder, and then when Rhett stood up quickly at the newfound liquid n his lap, "Uh oh, someone spilled."

Picking up her napkin she walked around the table and stopped in front, napkin poised to wipe away the mess. It clearly hadn't yet occurred to her the exact whereabouts of the spill and the nature of that particular whereabout.

Rhett raised an eyebrow at her and took the napkin out of her small hand. It was tempting to let her finish what she had almost started, but she was rather drunk and he supposed that would be taking advantage. He had drunk the same amount as Scarlett but was much more used to holding his liquor than his wife. His tall build helped, too. Scarlett's small frame would probably have had enough alcohol after two glasses. He wiped the stain on his pants and sat back down.

Taking her cue from Rhett, Scarlett sat in the chair next to him. Alcohol having loosened her tongue, she was free to talk however and about whatever she wanted. She said the first thing that popped into her mind. "Rhett, what went wrong with us?" she questioned, slipping a little off the side of her chair as she did so. Catching herself, she sat up straighter in her chair and held onto the arm rests for that extra support.

Rhett, now having had enough wine to alter his own sense of judgment, looked at her for a minute before answering. "Too many things."

"But can't we just apologize and start over?" she questioned innocently as a child. Albeit a drunken child.

"No." He wasn't sure why the word had come out quite so roughly or why small tears had formed in the corners of her green eyes. Mentally stretching for a way to explain it to her, his eyes fell on the chef's nightmare lying in front of him. "It's like this, Scarlett. This dinner is our relationship." He pointed at the dinner for effect, casting another grimace at the mess. "You can't just cook it again. It will just get more…burnt. Do you understand? See, how you think this would taste to eat?" he said, ironically taking a bite of the evidence.

She had cocked her head to one side as she tried to take in his explanation and a lone tear rolled down her alcohol induced flushed face.

For some reason that tiny tear had caused him to rise out of his seat. What was he doing? He had told himself he would leave her alone because she was drunk and he didn't want to take advantage of her or something ridiculous like that.

He stood there thinking, then made up his mind, and with a "What the hell," walked over to Scarlett and kissed her tear-stained cheek. Up close, he could see the trail it had left. He kissed her cheek again, then the other cheek. For good measure, he told himself. He guessed he was just going the extra mile when he began kissing her lips.

She apparently was, too.

He told himself that if they were _both_ drunk, it wouldn't be taking advantage. If he was taking advantage of her, she was doing just he same to him. He kissed her lips again, and couldn't help but think how surprisingly good that burnt meal tasted.

**A/N: so what did you guys think? Sorry it took so long to update, I apologize again. Review and let me know what you thought. If I get plenty of reviews I'll update soon, I promise! Oh, by the way, I know that in the book and movie Scarlett drank, so she should technically be used to drinking and wouldn't get drunk very easily, but considering the emotional situation/state she was in I didn't think it was too far of a stretch. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I know I said that my next update would most likely be on Georgia Rain or Eyes of Green, Heart of Gold**** but when I sat down to write this was the only story I could write anything worthwhile on. I hope everyone likes this chapter, and be sure to review!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own it. (Except the plot of this story)**

**Chapter 3 of Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice**

_**A Hangover She Doesn't Deserve**_

She was profoundly aware that her head hurt. It was throbbing to be exact. That was all she knew.

Wearily and slowly, she lifted her slightly shaky hands to her cool forehead and closed her eyes. She hadn't had a headache like this in a while, not since she had given up drinking.

Oh, God, she thought with a startling realization, I've got a hangover! She moved her hands away from her line of vision and was suddenly aware that there were soft snores emanating from under the pile of blankets she was sleeping against. With a feeling of dread, she gingerly lifted the corner of the blanket and peered under the covers.

She was right. It hadn't just been a loud blanket she was laying next to, it was Rhett.

And, if memory served her, it was a naked Rhett.

She took another quick peek under the covers to double check, and found she had been right indeed. Rhett Butler lay sleeping in all of his naked glory right next to what she had just come to realize was an equally naked, hung over Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler.

Honestly, but she couldn't help it.

She screamed.

It was a rather muffled scream in that halfway through it a jolt of pain so sharp to her head made her stop. How…what…she didn't know what to think, where to begin thinking. She gingerly got out of the king sized bed and reached for the wrapper which she found lying on the floor by the side of the bed. She slowly tied the small belt around her waist tightly so her curves wouldn't be as visible, not realizing of course that this only served to accentuate them.

She paced in a small section of her room for a minute trying to gather her thoughts. It wasn't until she was so dizzy she thought she might be sick, though the nausea could very well be attributed to her night before, that she realized she was getting nowhere. She sank heavily onto her side of the bed and waited until the room around her stopped swirling. Once again confident in her ability to keep last night's dinner where it belonged, she reached over and began to poke what she guessed was Rhett's shoulder.

"Rhett. Rhett. Rhett!" her whisper slowly increased in volume and in urgency. He stirred and sat up, looking as confused as she imagined she had minutes before.

"What the hell happened last night, Rhett Butler? And what the hell are you doing in my bed?" She asked angrily and slightly embarrassed. After all, she had been naked, he was naked, they were lying in her bed, and she couldn't remember anything of the night before.

"Scarlett, must you be so loud? What do you think happened, my dear?" He raised his eyebrows at her, causing a blush to creep up her cheeks.

"Relax," he said in a voice heavy with sleep. "You fell asleep before anything actually happened," he admitted, watching Scarlett release the lip she had begun biting.

"Oh" was all she could muster. The small word was flooded with relief. This was not how she had ever imagined Rhett's return. Becoming indignant, she was ready to upbraid that low cad beside her for getting her drunk and purposely taking advantage of her when she realized he had returned to a state of slumber, leaving her to her thoughts.

How had she managed to mess things up so badly yet another time? Oh, what would her mother say if she could see her now? She was afraid to know.

Glaring at a sleeping Rhett, she tried to convince herself that the entireties of their problems were his fault. All she managed to convince herself, however, was that if Rhett was able to go back to sleep like nothing had occurred it was only fair that she should be able to do the same thing. Settling in on her bed, she put as much distance between the two bodies as she possibly could before closing her eyes and quickly falling asleep.

It did no good. When she woke up for the second time that morning, she found that miraculously she had somehow ended up curled around Rhett's still sleeping figure. Perhaps it was due to the alcohol she had consumed the night before, but without thinking she hurriedly began scrambling to escape his grasp. She accidentally propelled herself off her bed, grabbing hold of the only thing in sight: Rhett. The two tumbled off the large bed and landed with a resounding thud on the floor.

**A/N: Sorry it was rather short. Tell me what you thought by reviewing, I hope everyone liked it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow, it's been a while. I'm surprised I even remembered how to write after all that time. I'm very sorry that it took such a long time (close to a year) for me to update this story, but I hope that everyone likes this _short_ chapter. I know I'll get a million reviews telling me it was "too short" and I hope that you realize it's not a constructive comment because I already realize it's too short of a chapter. But hey, it's better than nothing, right? I could've waited but I felt like since it has been so long since the last update I should get something up now. And if I get lots and lots of good reviews, I'll post the next installment of this chapter as soon as is humanly possible with all the college applications I'm gonna have to start filling out. Hope everyone enjoys and hasn't given up on me or this story! **

**Chapter 4 of Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice**

_**Covers**_

They hit the ground with a resounding thud. The air was knocked out of Scarlett's body and for a minute she couldn't breathe. Then, suddenly, the room began to dim around her and went black within the next instant. The last thing she remembered was Rhett's tanned face looking down at her strangely beneath him. He hurriedly clamored off her small body and peered down at the closed eyelids before him.

"Scarlett."

Scarlett."

"Scarlett!" he called again, anxious for her eyes to flutter back open. She always wanted attention, just like a child. "Scarlett!" he practically yelled, beginning to think maybe she might not be only craving attention. Dear God, what was wrong with her and what was he supposed to do? Gently he scooped her into his strong arms and deposited her on the top of the rumpled bed. The creamy white skin of her alluring body peeked out at him from under the sheet she had been wrapped in and he hastily added more covers atop her. He leaned over her and gently tapped her cheeks with both hands, praying her consciousness would return quickly. At his touch, her eyes flickered and then opened wide.

"Rhett! What are you doing here?" She asked, sounding alarmed and quite disoriented.

At her words, his heart questionably stopped beating. It was as if it forgot what its job was—at her question it froze, and in the split second after it began to beat faster. What was wrong with her? She couldn't have lost her memory, she had been unconscious for only a moment and she couldn't have fallen that hard…yet even though his logic could not be faulty, she was still staring at him with questions in her eyes.

"I…I…" he didn't know how to respond. She must see Dr. Meade at once, but he didn't want to upset her. Telling her he was relatively certain that she had lost her memory—or at least temporarily—seemed a sure way to cause her to be upset. He thought for a moment, delicately choosing his words. "I'm just visiting, Scarlett. Come on, you must get dressed. Dr. and Mrs. Meade are expecting us to call on them shortly," he lied. Lying wasn't exactly the way he had meant to restart their relationship, but he didn't seem to be left with much else of a choice. He caught himself at his own words. Restarting their relationship? Those were certainly not his intentions. He had come back solely to keep up an appearance. That was the entirety of it. He inwardly cursed Atlanta and its damned nosy, judging society.

"Oh, yes, of course," Scarlett said a bit unsteadily. She tried to stand up, but found herself instead staggering around the room, too dizzy to complete the process. The sheet covering her fell and Rhett felt a wave of desire shoot through him. Why wouldn't that woman's body stay covered? He reached out towards her, and she felt Rhett's arms grab her shoulders to steady her, and she was reassured on a level that wasn't purely physical. With Rhett's aid, she made her way to her dressing room and watched him enter her spacious closet. He quickly scanned the rows of garments she had organized by color one rainy afternoon and grabbed a simple visiting dress of a light blue color. He handed her the garment and she stood awkwardly staring at him, waiting for him to leave her alone to change. She cleared her throat delicately and he seemed to understand her wish for he moved to the window on the opposite side of the room. While Scarlett made the necessary adjustments and dressed herself he found himself lost in thought. How bad off was she? He glanced over his shoulder and saw her staring at the laces on the dress as if she couldn't remember how to tie them. Oh dear Lord, what had he done?

"Scarlett honey, would you care for me to help you?" he asked, trying not to appear worried. Or amused. The situation was not at all funny, he upbraided himself. Scarlett's not being able to recall how to dress herself was a serious matter. One that he was trying desperately hard not to laugh at.

"Yes, it's these darn buttons. They get me every time," she replied, staring down at what were clearly not buttons. She walked towards him, and like a small child let him dress her. It didn't take long to finish her toilette and the couple was soon descending the stairs which had been the partial cause of so much pain in their lives. Heading outside into the daylight, Rhett's most fervent prayer was not only that Scarlett would be okay, but it partly consisted of a hope that he would somehow find a way to explain the whole incident to Dr. Meade.

**So, thoughts? Tell me them in a nice, lengthy review :-D but not a lengthy review about the length. That's a pet peeve of mine. So is reviewing with what you think is going to happen…then I feel bad if you guess what it is. Feel free to tell me if you were right _after_ I've written my story, I'll be quite happy that you were clever enough to follow my mind. But if you do it before I post…I'll feel unoriginal. And that makes it much harder to post timely. Thanks again to everyone who hasn't given up on the continuation of this story! **


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